UK Immigration News

Following the announcement of the death of the President of the United Arab Emirates, His Highness Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the British Embassies in Abu Dhabi and Dubai will be closed to the public from Nov. 3, but will reopen on Nov. 13.

During this time, al visa services will be suspended unless there is and exceptional urgency. For these urgent requests the UAE embassies ask you to call the nearest visa section:

A computer program, "Project Semaphore," will in the future be used to identify people entering the UK. Travelers will also automatically be crosschecked against databases of individuals who pose a security risk and keep a record of entry into the country.

The system will also be used to monitor the duration of people's stay in the UK, thus, helping authorities to make sure visas or work permits are not overstayed. Still, the Semaphore program is not expected to be fully up and running until 2008.

An application submitted today may take longer than eight months for naturalization, adult registration could take up to three and a half months and close to eight months for registration of minors. Other registrations could take slightly more than four months to process, two months for renunciations and 10 weeks for right of abode applications.

The average time for a decision for all applications is seven and a half months. Note that these are average times only and some of them might take even longer.

A work permit application in the UK could take up to 24 weeks at the moment. Depending on what sort of work permit is applied for the waiting time could be reduced to three weeks.

Employers seeking to hire foreigners under the Highly Skilled Migrant Program (HSMP) can expect to wait the longest, maybe even as long as 24 weeks. A Leave to Remain application could take up to 10 weeks to process.

On October 25, the UK launched its Science and Engineering Graduate Scheme (SEGS), allowing non-EEA nationals who have graduated from UK higher or further education institutions to remain in the UK for up to a year to pursue a career.

Those sought after under the SEGS should have received a lower second class, or higher degree in certain physical sciences, mathematics and engineering.

As of Nov.1, 2004, people applying for a visa under the Highly Skilled Migrant Program (HSMP), will have to fill out a new application form. Applications made using the old form will not be accepted after December 1.

Therewill not be any changes to the basic requirements or any criteria foreligibility under the HSMP, but an acknowledgment slip will be added tothe new form.